Tissue removed by surgery from a human or animal body, such as a tumor, is normally subjected as a tissue sample to further examination. Fine tissue examinations of this type are usually performed by a pathologist. It is particularly important that if such tissue sample involves a malignant tumor to determine within the scope of such examination whether the tumor was actually completely removed. A tumor is considers completely removed if a safety border of healthy tissue exists around the tumor that was removed. If such tumor did not have a sufficient safety border, the surgeon also needs to know on which side of the tumor there is an insufficient safety border, so that post-resection can be performed at this location. For this purpose it is necessary that the orientation of the removed tissue sample from within the body is documented and retained.
Currently, different methods are used to mark the removed tissue sample with respect to its orientation in the body. Sometimes this is performed by introducing various threads into the tissue sample to mark which side of the removed tissue corresponds to a particular orientation in the body. Sometimes color markings are also applied on the sample itself. Besides the fact that such markings are inadequate, because reliable orientation is not possible, the marking of the sample itself also has the disadvantage that such markings are visible on x-ray images and therefore can impair the diagnosis. This is undesirable, since such superimposition on images can impair the diagnosis or even falsify it.
When marking the tissue samples themselves, another important aspect is arranging proper transportation and/or the storage of tissue samples.
According to another embodiment of the device for the transport of tissue samples, cork sheets are used onto which the tissue samples are attached with steel cannulas that are available as standard equipment in operating theaters. The steel cannulas are pushed through the removed tissue sample and fixed in the cork sheet. The cork sheet is subsequently marked with information on the orientation of the removed tissue samples in the body. The use of steel cannulas is not without problems. Such steel cannulas have a very sharp tip which can cause considerable injuries to the persons handling such sample, including the risk of infection. The tip of the cannula can even project on the lower side of the cork sheet, which happens quite frequently. The cannula canal can also contain tissue sample material. Additionally, the steel cannulas have the risk that they can slide out of the cork sheet during the transportation of the tissue sample which results loosing the information on the orientation of the tissue sample. In order to obtain an x-ray image that can be analyzed, the tissue sample must be removed from the cork sheet, since such sheet cannot be x-rayed homogenously. Such sheet produces shadows or can also produce lighter areas or lines in the x-ray image.
A tray for transporting and for the storage of tissue samples is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,056 A, in which the tissue sample is clamped between two panels of a tray. The one panel has an x-ray-opaque grating as coordinate system. With such a tray, the tissue sample cannot be readjusted. Because of its relatively high production cost, this tray is designed for multiple uses and must therefore be cleaned and disinfected after each use, which is time-consuming and cost intensive. In addition, if such tray is used, x-ray pictures cannot be made in a vertical direction. Additionally to clamp a tissue sample between two panels for transportation over extended distances is unsuitable. Transportation in formaldehyde is also not possible using this tray, since there is insufficient contact with the formaldehyde due to the clamping of the sample.
The foregoing example of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.